2008 WSOP Final Table Ratings Up 46 PercentSuccess Suggests Delayed Final Table Approach Will Stay |
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ESPN and Harrah’s Entertainment can let out one long collective sigh of relief because it appears that their controversial decision to delay the World Series of Poker final table four months to create additional buzz and increased ratings has paid off.
The 2008 final table outperformed the 2007 final table easily, beating out the ratings of the previous year by 46 percent. On Nov. 11, approximately 2.4 million viewers (representing a Nielsen rating of 1.9) tuned in to watch the November Nine battle it out for $9.1 million and a gold bracelet. In 2007, the final table only had a 1.3 Nielsen rating.
It was the most watched poker episode on ESPN since 2004 and the second most watched final table in history, according to WSOP communications director Seth Palansky.
In fact, more people watched 2008 champion Peter Eastgate win his main event than watched Chris Moneymaker win his final table in the 2003 premiere. Eastgate became the youngest person to ever win the tournament at 22, a distinction previously held by Phil Hellmuth.
Poker ratings dipped in 2007, causing speculation that perhaps the ceiling had finally been hit for the growth of poker. But organizers of the 2008 main event made the unprecedented move to suspend the tournament when the field was down to its final table and continue it in November after all previous WSOP episodes had aired.
The announcement set off a frenzied debate in the poker community, with players arguing whether or not the switch was good for game. Opponents of the move argued that Harrah’s was hurting the integrity of the game with the delay, while proponents were excited at the prospect of a near-live final table that resembled a more typical mainstream sports event.
The winner of the tournament was crowned in the early hours of Nov. 11, and ESPN edited and broadcast the event later that night.
There has been no announcement on whether or not the 2009 main event will see the same four-month delay, but organizers had previously said that ratings would be one of the factors in that determination.
The ratings for the 2008 final table were higher than ESPN’s average regular season NBA or MLB game from last year. Overall, the ratings for the entire 2008 WSOP were about 15 percent better than the 2007 WSOP.
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